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In early June, Center-Game organized a conference on the topic "How to win the competition for attention in training when traditional methods cease to be effective." At the event, invited experts shared their knowledge of modern edutainment technologies, and also revealed the possibilities of using narrative and game tools to improve the effectiveness of corporate training. The conference provided a platform for discussing innovative approaches to improving employee engagement and streamlining educational processes within companies.
Polina Samsonova, Director of the Digital Products Competence Center at Rostelecom, and Vladislav Bondarev, Product Owner at Center-Game, discussed key aspects of organizing online events in the edutainment format. As an example, they shared their experience of holding a professional conference for IT specialists inspired by Scandinavian myths. Their advice will help create an engaging and educational event that will attract attendees and increase engagement.
Tips for Creating an Edutainment Event
Online events have a unique feature: viewers are much more likely to leave them than offline events. Polina Samsonova notes that at live events, leaving the room is more difficult because there's a person in front of the audience trying to convey information. In contrast, at home, in front of a screen, participants can easily switch to other tasks or close a tab without feeling accountable. This underscores the importance of creating engaging content and engaging with the audience online.
To increase participant engagement and their motivation to complete the event, it's recommended to use narrative design and gamification elements. Using these approaches helps create a more engaging and memorable experience. A few helpful guidelines will help avoid common pitfalls in this process.
Investing in the visual design of your website and marketing materials can significantly increase user engagement, especially when all elements align harmoniously with the overall theme. However, if your budget is limited, this isn't critical. According to Vladislav Bondarev, the key to successful content is the story, not the appearance. Developing a compelling narrative requires basic storytelling skills to help create engaging and memorable content.
Reading is an important part of our lives, contributing to the development of intelligence and broadening horizons. It helps not only to gain new knowledge but also to improve communication skills and develop critical thinking. It's important to choose quality sources of information to enrich your experience and form your own opinions. Reading books, articles, and research not only deepens your understanding of various topics but also inspires new ideas. Therefore, devote time to reading, choosing a variety of genres and topics to broaden your horizons as much as possible. Narrative Design Techniques: How to Capture Students' Attention in Online Courses Narrative design plays a key role in creating engaging online courses. By using effective storytelling techniques, you can significantly increase student interest and improve their engagement in the learning process. It's important to use stories that are easy to understand and remember to make the material more accessible and engaging. Creating vivid characters and situations helps establish an emotional connection with students. Use scenarios that reflect real-life experiences so students can identify with the material. A variety of formats, such as video, text, and interactive elements, also helps maintain attention and promote better retention.
Don't forget about the consistency of presentation. A logical and structured narrative makes it easier for students to follow the course and master new topics. Including questions and assignments at the end of sections helps reinforce what has been learned and maintains active participation.
By using narrative design in online courses, you create not only educational content but also an engaging experience that will leave students with a positive impression and a desire to continue learning.
Increasing the interactivity of an event doesn't require significant investment in developing custom technical solutions. There are many specialized services that can help. For example, spatial chats like SpatialChat, hubs.mozilla.com, getLocus, and gather.town offer unique opportunities for participant interaction. Platforms with games and quizzes, such as MyQuiz and clevver.me, are also available to enrich the event program. Solutions exist for virtually every necessary function, making it easy for organizers to find the right tools to create an engaging and interactive experience.
When discussing professional events, games, jokes, and fantasy plots may seem inappropriate. However, as Polina Samsonova argues, her experience demonstrates that in a relaxed atmosphere, participants are more likely to open up and discuss their difficulties and mistakes. At events where the emphasis is on the sincere exchange of real, rather than idealized, professional experiences, this proves especially important.
The gamified environment not only engages participants but also lowers internal barriers, encouraging openness. It's psychologically easier to participate in discussions if you imagine yourself as a fantasy character rather than a real person. To ensure speakers remain grounded in their roles and stay on topic, a qualified moderator is essential at the conference. A moderator asks questions, offers prompts, and supports speakers during moments of nervousness or confusion, which facilitates a more productive dialogue and an effective exchange of opinions.
When creating a compelling story, it's important to consider the goals and primary objectives of the event. The story and game elements must meet these requirements. It's equally important to keep the target audience in mind. For example, a story based on superhero comics might be of interest to IT professionals, but is unlikely to be suitable for industrial managers. By considering the interests and preferences of your attendees, you can create more engaging and effective content that will ensure the success of your event.
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Creating an effective edutainment program requires a careful approach. Here are five basic rules to help you in this process. First, identify your program's target audience. Understanding your audience's interests and needs will allow you to create content that is truly engaging and educational. Second, integrating educational elements into an entertaining format is key. Find a balance between learning and entertainment to keep participants engaged. Third, use a variety of content formats, such as videos, interactive activities, and games. This variety will help make the learning process more engaging. Fourth, regularly gather feedback from participants. This will help you improve the program and adapt the content to the audience's changing needs. Finally, build a community around your program. This will allow participants to share experiences and knowledge, which will increase overall interest and engagement. By following these guidelines, you can develop a successful edutainment program that combines learning and entertainment, captivating and retaining your audience's attention. Vladislav emphasizes the importance of viewer engagement during the broadcast. Expecting the audience to simply tune in and watch the speakers' presentations like a captivating series is unrealistic. Reactions, questions, polls, and quizzes significantly increase viewer interest and engagement. A key benefit is that participants can influence the course of events by actively participating. This interaction can be implemented using ready-made services, including simple survey forms, which will make the broadcast more interactive and engaging.
The speaker emphasized that achieving an immersive effect requires all elements to function as intended. This requires multiple testing and rehearsals of the program, especially when implementing a complex narrative with multiple interactive mechanics. High-quality preparation will ensure smooth interaction and increase audience engagement.
Vladislav recommends organizing separate rehearsals for speakers. During edutainment events, they play their roles in the story, so it is important that they are fully immersed in the atmosphere and context of the event. Proper preparation of speakers will help create a more engaging and memorable experience for participants.
A technical script must be carefully developed with the broadcast directors responsible for connecting the speakers and the host. This script is a detailed plan that describes what should happen on screen and when. Rehearsing with the host will significantly increase their confidence in front of the camera. Furthermore, it is important to hold a dress rehearsal during which the speakers and organizers can fully practice the event script.
Case Study: How to Build an Online Event on a Compelling Story
In 2018, Polina Samsonova and her team from Rostelecom initiated the creation of an internal professional community called the IT Development Guild. The idea of organizing a conference for IT project managers was soon put forward. The speaker noted that the task was complex – it was necessary to create an event that differed from the usual formats, in which participants often limit themselves to exchanging praise and achievements. The goal was to create an open platform for discussing current issues and receiving feedback, so that participants could hear each other and understand that they are not alone in facing difficulties and challenges in their work.
The conference's title, "Project Confession," reflects its essence. The first meeting was held in an informal, offline setting, full of humor and wine. However, in 2020, due to the circumstances, the organizers adapted the event and held it online. They retained the original concept, adding elements of edutainment, which facilitated deeper participant engagement. The conference continues to attract attention with its unique atmosphere and relevant topics, making it an important platform for exchanging experience in project management.
Reading is an important part of our lives. It enriches us with new knowledge, develops critical thinking and helps improve concentration. Reading books, articles, and other materials allows you to broaden your horizons and deepen your understanding of various topics. In today's world, where information is available in vast quantities, it's important to be able to filter and analyze what you read. This skill is not only beneficial for personal development but also essential for professional work. Take advantage of the opportunity to read daily to maximize the information and improve your quality of life. Edutainment is a concept that combines learning and entertainment, creating a unique format that promotes effective learning. This approach makes the learning process more engaging and attractive to learners. Edutainment incorporates various methods and forms, such as games, interactive multimedia, educational films, and other entertaining elements, which help maintain attention and increase motivation. The essence of edutainment is to transform boring learning into an engaging process where students can gain knowledge in a playful or entertaining way. This not only improves information retention but also promotes the development of critical thinking, creativity, and other important skills. Using edutainment in educational institutions and on online platforms allows for a more dynamic and interactive learning environment. This approach attracts the attention of young people, which is especially relevant in the age of digital technology and rapid access to information. Thanks to edutainment, learning becomes not only useful but also engaging, promoting a deeper understanding and mastery of the educational material. The event was based on a compelling story that covered the entire scenario from start to finish. Conference participants faced the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, each symbolizing one of the key thematic areas: deadlines, clients, team, and resources. This conceptual approach allowed us to delve deeper into the topics discussed and make the learning process more interactive and memorable.
In 2021, "Project Confession" was once again held online and in an edutainment format, much to the organizers' delight. The event took place across nine worlds inspired by Norse mythology. The plot revolved around the treacherous god Loki, who seeks to seize power in these worlds. To defeat him, a team of gods from various worlds must be assembled, but the gods themselves, played by conference speakers, are preoccupied with their own affairs. The audience is tasked with helping the speakers overcome their challenges to save the universe. This engaging interaction creates a unique atmosphere and actively engages participants, making the event not only educational but also entertaining.
Vladislav Bondarev from Center-Game noted that the conference host became a key guide to a fascinating storytelling. He immersed participants in the storyline, introduced interactive elements, and introduced the speakers. The presenter worked in a studio using a green screen, allowing viewers to see the thematic backdrop of one of the worlds in which the story unfolded. In front of him was a screen with a prompter displaying the main points, which facilitated better participant comprehension. This approach to conducting events enhances audience engagement and creates a unique experience of interacting with the content.
The conference was held online, which created a special responsibility for the broadcast directors. Vladislav noted that there were two of them, and each oversaw the connection of speakers in one of two streams: "The Path of the Rememberer" and "The Path of the Hearer." The visual design of the broadcasts played a key role in creating an atmosphere and immersing participants in the topics discussed. Each stream had unique frames and interface elements, which helped highlight "worlds" on the screen and improve the perception of information.
Vladislav spoke in detail about the three types of interactive elements used in the 2021 Project Confession. These interactive elements facilitated deeper participant engagement and improved interaction with the audience. Each of the presented interactive elements played a vital role in creating a unique experience, allowing participants to actively participate in discussions and share their opinions.
- Reactions. During the speakers' presentations, each viewer could leave feedback with one click, choosing an appropriate emoji reaction from those offered. And at the end of the presentation, the speaker could see what reactions the audience had left and how actively they responded.
- Tips and Suggestions. During the presentation, viewers could use a special form to suggest solutions to a project task that the speaker was struggling with.
- Final Battle. The plot culminated with a fight with Loki. Conference attendees were asked questions about the presentation topics and had to select the correct answers using simple testing mechanics. If the majority answered correctly, Loki weakened—a corresponding animation appeared on the screen, and his health bar decreased, similar to a video game. Incorrect answers restored the villain's health. The animation was activated automatically, while the visual display of Loki's health was controlled manually.
The speaker presented interesting statistics: 65.7% of users who visited the conference website participated in the event. Furthermore, 33% of viewers watched the four-hour conference in its entirety. These figures highlight the high level of audience engagement and confirm the importance of the content presented at the conference.
Vladislav noted that this figure is high for events with parallel broadcasts, where viewers can select topics of interest. When analyzing all long-form online events, the result is in line with average figures. According to Bizzabo, a company specializing in video conferencing solutions, events lasting between two and four hours attract an average of 37% of viewers to the end. However, for events longer than four hours, this figure drops to 13%. This highlights the importance of optimizing event length to retain audience attention.
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